


Tonight

by angelsandbrowncoats



Series: Nygmobblepot Week 2018 [5]
Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Cuddling, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Minor Angst, Nygmobblepot Week 2018, Panic Attacks, blink and you miss it kind of brief, it's not specific, or sensory overload, well the last two shouldn't, why do all my fics for this week have more hurt/comfort than the one for hurt/comfort day??
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-23
Updated: 2018-03-23
Packaged: 2019-04-06 19:10:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,682
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14063571
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angelsandbrowncoats/pseuds/angelsandbrowncoats
Summary: Edward had a bad day, mentally and emotionally. Luckily, after all their time together, Oswald knows exactly how to help.





	Tonight

**Author's Note:**

> Short and sweet, I hope!

_Oswald really is the sweetest, most understanding individual, and damn anyone who suggests otherwise_ , Edward mused to himself as he lay curled up on the couch, his head in Oswald’s lap with a nice, heavy blanket pulled up to his chin. Oswald’s short, bony fingers carded through his hair, just barely scratching over his scalp in soothing motions. His voice – low and soft – wove its way through the chill autumn air, made warmer by the roaring fireplace lighting the room. Edward wasn’t paying close attention to his words. He already knew them after all.

 

All his life, Edward had dealt with bad days alone. Pushing his conscious to the edge of his mind until he was in the safety of bed, under the cover of covers and the cover of dark where he could curl up and cry without anyone yelling at him for being weak, for being whiny, for being _stupid_. Channeling his aggression from the bright lights of the GCPD and the bad memories revived by his coworkers’ obsession with masculinity by repeatedly stabbing a watermelon, or a pig carcass, or whatever happened to be most efficient at the time. Wincing and bearing and _dealing_ with the gross violations to his person during his stay at Arkham. He had never expected otherwise.

 

So when Oswald went looking for him one evening, after a particularly loud day at work that had left him wanting nothing more than to curl up under a blanket and just _be_ , he hadn’t known what to do. He was even less sure when Oswald’s reaction was – rather than one of derision – to immediately ask if there was anything he could do. When no response was forthcoming, he did not abandon Edward. Instead, he broke down the broadness of the question until he found what would eventually become routine.

 

_Would you like me to stay?_

_Yes._

_Would you like me to hold you?_

_Yes._

_Would you like to talk about it?_

_No._

_Would you like me to talk?_

_No._

It was all so simple. Of course, different days called for different measures. When his head was pounding with the sound of every creak in the house and his eyeballs burned with the glare of the faintest light, he wanted to just be held, nothing more. But when he overheard some moron at work with a voice that was just a little too similar to those of his past calling him ‘freak’, he wanted a distraction. Oswald had eventually taken to reading quietly to him from his favorite books.

 

Today was one of those days. After witnessing Oswald kiss him during the few minutes between meetings, some incredibly replaceable schmuck had sneered at him, telling him that being the favorite because he was sleeping with the boss was ‘cheating’.

 

Edward hadn’t been accused of cheating in a very long time.

 

But not only was Oswald already halfway to wrapping him up in a blanket and grabbing their latest book the moment they stepped through the doors of the mansion, he had done so with nothing but a smile and the warmest eyes, despite having been talking about the plans he had for tonight for _weeks_. He’d gotten reservations at the nicest restaurant in the city, tickets to some show Edward was sure he would regret missing, and who knew what else. But Edward wasn’t prepared to go out, and Oswald had accepted that with more grace than any person had a right to have.

 

Oswald’s soothing voice poured over him as he snuggled closer to the hand that was petting his hair. He couldn’t imagine anyone being more caring than Oswald in that moment. He could hardly believe that Oswald was taking care of him like this as it was.

 

Oswald was in the middle of the séance scene when Edward interrupted, unintentionally as he had been lost in thought and nearly forgotten about the book to begin with.

 

“Oswald?” he asked quietly, voice partially muffled by Oswald’s thigh where his face pressed against it.

 

His lover paused in his reading, fingertips freezing for only a split second before continuing to stroke his scalp, “Yes, darling?”

 

“I love you,” Edward mumbled, “I’m sorry for ruining your evening.”

 

Oswald’s fingers slipped down to cup his cheek, thumb smoothing over the sharp bone of it as he shook his head, “Shh, love, no. You haven’t ruined anything.”

 

“But our plans…”

 

“First of all, it isn’t your fault,” Oswald reminded him, “And second of all, the evening hasn’t been ruined at all, yet. And if it does end up ruined, that’ll be on me.”

 

“How?” Edward frowned, trying to figure out what Oswald could do that would ruin the evening. He had no success in puzzling out that answer, and his train of thought was completely derailed when he felt Oswald tugging him up gently to bring him into a kiss. Oswald’s hands supported his head and neck as he lay back, letting Oswald lick his way past his lips and thoroughly ravage his mouth. He was so distracted by the feeling of Oswald’s tongue on his that he completely missed the small, cold object being pressed into his hand until Oswald pulled back. A moment afterwards, he became aware of the thing digging into his palm and he opened his hand to find –

 

“What?” he breathed out, staring at the object, uncomprehending. After the space of four breaths, he gathered as much wit as he presently had and turned to stare at Oswald instead, eyebrows up in a combination of shock and confusion, silently asking Oswald to explain himself.

 

Oswald, for his part, kept his eyes trained on the platinum band sporting one alexandrite gem and two emeralds that he had placed beneath his boyfriend’s fingers while he’d been distracted.

 

“Oswald? What is this?”

 

He took a deep breath, looking up to meet Edward’s eyes as he took his hand in both of his own.

 

“Ed. Sweetheart. Love of my life. I wanted to wine and dine and woo you before doing this, but… more importantly, I wanted to do this tonight. Because it doesn’t matter if you let me take you out and spoil you, or if we have a quiet night at home; you are still the best part of my life and the reason I look forward to the end of each day. Getting to spend time with you in any respect is what makes me wake up with a smile. You’re so good for me, Ed. I’m a better man when I’m with you. I love being able to do this for you just as much as I love taking you out, because above all else, I love _you_. And so it would bring me an endless amount of joy if you would do me the honor of becoming my husband. Edward Nygma, will you marry me?”

 

A few tears were rolling down Edward’s cheeks, forming clear wet tracks from the corner of each eye. He tore his eyes away from Oswald to inspect the ring, mostly to give his eyes something to do while he processed the question. He had gasped when he realized what was happening, but it still hadn’t fully registered.

 

“You… want to… marry… me?” he asked, tentatively.

 

“Yes, my love.”

 

“I… I ruined your proposal plans?”

 

Oswald sighed, moving his hands to wipe away Edward’s tears before running them through his hair again, leaning down to press small, soft kisses to his jaw and cheekbones.

 

“No, Ed. My plan was to propose tonight, regardless of what happened, because I love you just as much now as I do when we’re out. I never stop loving you, darling, and I want you like this just as much as I want you in public. So, even though we didn’t do everything we said we would tonight, I very much want to call you my husband, so if you world permit me to put a ring on your finger and legally make you mine for the rest of our lives, I would be over the moon. I love you, Ed. That’s the long and the short of it. I love you.”

 

Edward bit his lip, pressing up to intercept Oswald’s mouth with his own when Oswald leaned in to kiss his jaw again.

 

“Oz…”

 

“Yes, Ed?” Oswald’s fingers found their way back to his hand, gripping it tight in anticipation.

 

“Of course I’ll be yours. I already was, after all.”

 

Oswald gave a sigh of relief and grinned, “I’m so glad to hear it. I love you.”

 

“So you’ve said,” Edward gave a cheeky smile of his own, before looking back at the ring, “It’s gorgeous.”

 

“You know what’s more gorgeous?”

 

“What?”

 

“You.”

 

“…”

 

“So, do you want to try it on?”

 

Edward nodded enthusiastically and offered his hand for Oswald to do the honors. It slid on perfectly, sitting comfortably on his ring finger. Oswald sighed again, content this time, reveling in the image of his claim _physically_ on Edward.

 

“How does it look?”

 

“Very pretty. How are you feeling?”

 

“Amazing,” Edward answered honestly. The incident from earlier had been practically forgotten, and what remained was easily overshadowed by the sheer joy of having a solid symbol of Oswald’s love wrapped around his finger. Oswald didn’t just like him, he wanted to keep him. He wouldn’t just cast him aside when he’d had his fill. It was enough to make Edward tear up again.

 

“So, do you want to keep doing this, or would you be interested in a slightly more… active way of expressing my affections for you?” Oswald asked, wiggling his eyebrows for added suggestiveness.

 

Edward snorted before assessing his mindset and grinning, “I think I’d be amenable to that.”

 

Oswald helped him to his feet, holding the hand that now bore his ring, “Then I suggest we relocate to the bedroom.”

 

Leaning closer to his side, Edward grabbed the hand Oswald had placed on his back and moved it a few inches lower. He fluttered his eyelashes as he looked up at his lover, coy, and said, “Lead the way, fiancé…”

**Author's Note:**

> I have something to write about the last episode before I can write my last two fics, so fingers crossed they're not late!
> 
> Comments, as always, are greatly appreciated!


End file.
